​Lin-Manuel Miranda

Patriotic Assembly Song of the Week

Musician of the Week

Monday

Listening Example: "How Far I'll Go" from "Moana"

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American composer, lyricist, playwright, and actor best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musical “Hamilton”.

Lin-Manuel Miranda was born on January 16, 1980 in New York City, the son of Puerto Rican parents. His clinical psychologist mother, Luz Towns-Miranda, and his political consultant father, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., settled in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan.

Miranda and his sister grew up in a musically-oriented family. Both siblings taking piano lessons and were encouraged by their parents who loved the music of Broadway. (Luis particularly adores the show The Unsinkable Molly Brown.) While the Mirandas weren’t able to routinely see live performances, they were nonetheless able to listen to cast recordings.

Exposed to a wide range of musical genres while growing up, Lin-Manuel also developed a love of hip-hop, including the music of the Beastie Boys, Boogie Down Productions and Eric B. & Rakim. During his pre-teen and teenage years, Miranda performed in student stage productions while he attended Hunter College’s elementary and high schools.

Today’s Listening Example is “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney’s “Moana”. It was written and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Every Disney Princess has a song about what they want, or what they dream will happen. This song is Moana’s “I Want” song. "How Far I'll Go" expresses a deep, rich message: Moana's struggle with the irresistible impulse to explore beyond the reef notwithstanding her genuine love for her island, her family, and her people. As Miranda explained to People Magazine: "To me that's much more complicated than, 'I hate it here and I want to get out,' ... To say, ‘I love it here, I love my parents, but why can't I stop walking to the ocean and fantasizing about getting out of here?' And questioning that instinct? It's even more confusing. And that's a valid story too." Please feel free to sing along!

Tuesday

Listening Example: "In The Heights"

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s family originated in Puerto Rico. In fact, his mother got his name from a poem by a Puerto Rican writer. He has always been proud of those roots and it can be seen in many of his works. After high school, Lin-Manuel Miranda moved to Connecticut to study theatrical arts at Wesleyan University. While at Wesleyan, during his Sophomore year, Miranda started developing the musical that would become “In the Heights”.

After high school, Lin-Manuel Miranda moved to Connecticut to study theatrical arts at Wesleyan University. While at Wesleyan, during his Sophomore year, Miranda started developing the musical that would become “In the Heights”.

Miranda not only starred in the production, but he wrote the show’s music and lyrics as well. , “In the Heights” was set in Washington Heights, featuring Latin sounds interwoven with more standard show tune fare. The musical debuted in 2008 and was a hit, running for almost two years and winning four Tony Awards, including the prize for best musical. The opening song from "In the Heights" is today's Listening Example.

Wednesday

Listening Example: "I Got You" from "Bring It On: The Musical"

It is rare that one person writes both the music and the lyrics for a Broadway show. Usually, it takes two or three people to write the music and lyrics, a few people to do the dancing, or choreography, and then there’s the actors. But, Lin-Manuel Miranda has written both the lyrics and music to his musicals, as well as acted in them.

In 2011, Miranda worked with Tom Kitt and Amanda Green to write a musical titled “Bring It On: The Musical”, based on a cheerleading movie. ring It On premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in January 2011. The musical began a US national tour on October 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. It was nominated for Tony Awards in the categories of Best Musical and Best Choreography.

Lin-Manuel is hard working man. While working on “Bring It On the Musical” he also did screen work: He appeared on various TV programs including The Sopranos, How I Met Your Mother and Modern Family as well as in the films The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012) and 200 Cartas (2013). And in a perfect fusion of career interests, Miranda won an Emmy in 2014 with Tom Kitt for their song “Bigger” from the 67th Annual Tony Awards telecast.

Today’s Listening Example is from “Bring It On: The Musical.” The musical is loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name and focuses on the competitive world of cheerleading and over-the-top team rivalries. While listening, try to find Lin-Manuel Miranda's influences on the music. Can you hear some salsa/Puerto Rican influences? Maybe some Hip Hop or R&B? The combination of these genres is what sets Miranda’s music apart from the rest.

Thursday

Listening Example: "The Schuyler Sisters" from "Hamilton"

Lin-Manuel Miranda is as much a performer as he is a writer. In fact, the first musical he ever saw was “Les Miserables”. Since seeing that show, he yearned to be a part of the cast, and in January of 2016, he got his opportunity. It was a small role...in fact it was an offstage cameo role, but it fulfilled his dream of being in the show. Never give up on your dreams, no matter where life leads you.

While on vacation in 2008, Miranda picked up the 2004 Ron Chernow book Alexander Hamilton, an acclaimed biography of America’s first secretary of the treasury. Having already developed an interest in the historical figure, Miranda was inspired to create a full-length work chronicling Hamilton’s life.

He first presented a song from the future show in 2009, at the White House's first-ever Evening of Poetry & Spoken Word. The musical was also part of Lincoln Center Theater’s 2012 American Songbook Series and the New York Stage and Film’s 2013 Powerhouse Theatre Season at Vassar College. Hamilton eventually debuted at the Public Theater in early 2015, and just months later hit Broadway, racking up monumental advance ticket sales. That same year he was also honored with a MacArthur Foundation Award.

Miranda’s musical “Hamilton” has garnered wide acclaim for its unique sensibilities—relying on a black and Latino cast with hip-hop/R&B sounds in a stage musical format to tell the story of this U.S. Founding Father. The Broadway musical has become a must-see event, not only for for theater fans, but also for scores of famous figures, including President Barack Obama and musical icon Stephen Sondheim. In April 2016, Hamilton won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and in May, the musical set a new record when it was nominated for 16 Tony Awards, the most in Broadway history. The production ultimately received 11 Tonys—just one short of the record-setting 12 wins had by The Producers. Today’s Listening Example is “The Schuyler Sisters” from the musical “Hamilton”.

Friday

Listening Example: "You're Welcome" from "Moana"

We have talked about how music is a very important part of movies. But, did you know that the music for “Frozen” was written by people who wrote music for Broadway plays/musicals? Just like Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writers for “Frozen” were famous on Broadway long before Mickey Mouse hired them.

From 2014 to 2016, Miranda collaborated with Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina to write the music for Moana.

Miranda sings the song "We Know the Way" in the film. He also recorded a duet with Jordan Fisher of the song "You're Welcome", which is played over the film's end credits. Miranda has also won awards for writing the song “How Far I’ll Go”

Since you’ve seen or heard every song from “Moana” already, today’s Listening Example is the version of “You’re Welcome” that plays over the credits. This video features Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jordan Fisher singing together, from entirely different continents!